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FIELD  COLUMBIAN  MUSEUM 

PUBLICATION  41. 
ZOOLOGICAL  SERIES.  VOL.  I,  No.  17. 


NOTES  ON  A  COLLECTION 
OF  FISHES  AND  AMPHIBIANS 


FROM 


MUSKOKA  AND  GULL  LAKES. 


BY 

S.  E.  MEEK, 
Assistant  Curator,  Department  of  Zoology. 

D.  G.  ELLIOT,  F.R.S.E., 
Curator,  Department  of  Zoology. 


CHICAGO,  U.  S.  A. 

November,   1899. 


NOTES  ON  A  COLLECTION  OF  FISHES  AND  AMPHIBIANS 
FROM  MUSKOKA  AND  GULL  LAKES. 


BY    S.     E.     MEEK. 


The  present  paper  is  based  on  a  collection  of  fishes  and  amphib- 
ians made  at  Gravenhurst,  Ontario,  by  the  writer  the  second  week 
in  September,  1899.  The  country  about  Gravenhurst  is  very  rough 
and  rocky,  and  contains  a  large  number  of  lakes.  Muskoka,  the 
largest  of  these,  is  joined  on  the  north  by  Rosseau  and  Joseph  Lakes. 
These  three  form  a  body  of  water  about  forty-five  miles  in  length,  and 
from  a  few  rods,  to  more  than  five  miles  in  width.  Its  coast  line  is 
rough  and  rocky,  excepting  that  here  and  there  are  narrow  bays, 
which  usually  terminate  in  sandy  beaches  or  low  marshy  shores. 

"Gull  Lake  is  much  smaller  than  Muskoka,  and  lies  about  one  and 
one-half  miles  east  of  its  southern  end.  It  is  about  sixty  feet  higher 
than  Muskoka,  into  which  it  drains.  Our  collection  was  made  in 
Gull  Lake,  its  outlet,  and  the  southern  end  of  Muskoka  Lake. 

Commercial  fishing  is  not  permitted  in  these  lakes,  and  the 
larger  game  fishes  are  reported  as  abundant.  During  my  visit  the 
disagreeable  weather  prevented  fishing  for  the  larger  species,  and 
my  attention  was  given  mostly  to  collecting  the  smaller. 


PISCES.  * 

1.  Ameiurus  nebulosus  (Le  Sueur). 

(Dog-fish;  Cat-fish.) 

Abundant  in  Gull  and  Muskoka  Lakes.    It  is  sometimes  spoken 
of  as  Cat-fish  or  Bullhead,  but  more  often  called  Dog-fish. 

2.  Catostomus  commersonii  (Lacepede). 

(Sucker.) 

Abundant  in  the   outlet   of  Gull  Lake.      I   was    informed    that 
many  were  speared  in  the  spring  at  the  lower  part  of  Gull  Lake, 

and  in  the  upper  part  of  its  outlet. 

(307) 


308  FIELD  COLUMBIAN  MUSEUM — ZOOLOGY,  VOL.    i. 

3.  Semotilus  atromaculatus  (Mitchill). 

(Chub.) 

Abundant  in  the  outlet  of  Gull  Lake. 

4.  Abramis  chrysoleucas  (Mitchill). 

One  specimen  taken  in  the  outlet  of  Gull  Lake.  Length,  1.86 
inches;  anal  rays,  13. 

5.  Notropis  muskoka,  sp.  nov. 

Length  of  type  2.91  inches.      No.  2964. 

Head,  4;  depth,  5}^;  D.,  8;  A.,  8;  scales,  36  (10  from  dorsal  to 
ventral  fin);  teeth,  4-4,  tips  slightly  hooked,  grinding  surface 
narrow;  eye,  3^  in  the  length  of  the  head;  snout,  3^.  Body 
rather  terete  and  slender;  snout  bluntish;  mouth  small  and 
slightly  oblique;  lower  jaw  the  shorter,  slightly  included;  pos- 
terior end  of  maxillary  scarcely  reaching  vertical  from  the  front 
of  orbit.  Eighteen  scales  between  nape  and  dorsal  fin,  the 
scales  in  this  region  being  smaller  and  more  crowded  than  on 
sides  and  posterior  dorsal  region,  much  resembling  Pimephales 
notatus  in  this  respect.  Origin  of  the  first  ray  of  dorsal  fin  mid- 
way between  the  base  of  the  caudal  fin  and  the  tip  of  the  snout. 
Lateral  line  incomplete,  not  extending  beyond  the  fourth  scale 
on  each  side.  The  longest  (anterior)  dorsal  rays  are  nearly  three 
times  the  length  of  the  posterior  ones,  the  tips  of  the  former 
extending  considerably  beyond  the  tips  of  the  latter  when  the  fin 
is  deflexed;  longest  dorsal  ray,  1^3  in  head;  pectorals,  i^  in 
head,  their  tips  reaching  2/$  distance  from  their  base  to  base  of 
ventrals;  ventrals  2  in  head,  their  tips  reaching  to  base  of  anal. 

Color  olivaceous,  darker  above,  very  pale  below;  a  dark  band 
about  y?,  diameter  of  eye  around  snout  and  on  sides  to  base  of 
caudal  fin;  on  the  snout  this  band  is  confined  to  the  upper  jaw; 
between  this  band  and  the  darker  color  on  the  dorsal  region  is 
a  lighter  band  of  about  the  same  width;  a  dark  vertebral  line 
present,  also  a  similar  one  from  base  of  anal  to  caudal  fin. 

Twenty-four  specimens  varying  in  length  from  1.31  inches  to 
2.83  inches,  taken  from  the  lower  part  of  Gull  Lake,  and  from 
the  outlet  just  below  the  first  falls.  The  lateral  line  on  most  of 
the  specimens  is  as  described  in  the  type  specimen.  In  a  few  of 
the  other  specimens  it  is  absent  on  the  first  scales  and  appears 
at  intervals  along  the  sides  on  about  12  scales,  occasionally, 
usually  in  the  smaller  specimens,  it  is  absent  altogether.  It  is 
less  developed  in  this  species  than  in  any  other  of  the  genus. 


Nov.  1899.  FISHES  FROM  ONTARIO — MEEK.  309 

This  species  differs  from  Notropis  cayuga,  Meek,  in  the  reduced 
size  of  the  scales  before  dorsal  fin,  the  more  slender  body,  less 
blunt  snout,  and  the  slightly  larger  and  more  oblique  mouth, 
and  the  more  incomplete  lateral  line.  It  is  also  a  larger  fish 
than  Notropis  cayuga. 

6.  Notropis  cornutus  (Mitchill). 

(Silverside;    Shiner.) 
Abundant. 

7.  Cristivomer  namycush  (Walbaum). 

(Lake  trout;    Salmon  trout.) 

Caught  in  large  numbers  in  Muskoka  Lake;  not  found  in  Gull 
Lake. 

8.  Salvelinus  fontinalis  (Mitchill). 

(Brook  trout ;  speckled  trout.) 

Reported  as  common  in  streams  and  many  smaller  lakes,  none 
taken  in  Gull  Lake. 

A  white  fish  and  a  lake  herring  are  said  to  be  found  in  Mus- 
"koka  Lake,  none  were  taken  during  my  visit  and  I  am  unable  to 
give  name  of  the  species. 

9.  Umbra  limi  (Kirtland). 

Abundant  in  lower  part  of  Gull  Lake  and  in  its  outlet. 

10.  Lucius  lucius  (Linnaeus). 

(Pike.      Pickerel.) 

This  species  is  not  found  in  Gull  Lake.  Large  numbers  are 
caught  each  year  in  Muskoka  Lake. 

11.  Lucius  masquinongy  (Mitchill).  4 

(Muscalonge.) 

I  saw  none  of  this  species.  It  is  reported  as  less  common  in 
Muskoka  Lake  than  the  preceding;  not  found  in  Gull  Lake. 

12.  Eupomotis  gibbosus  (Linnaeus). 

(Sunfish.) 

In  Gull  and  Muskoka  Lakes,  apparently  common. 

The  specimens  collected  are  more  slender  (depth  2^3  to  2^) 
than  specimens  from  northern  Illinois.  In  the  young  the  sides 
have  from  12  to  14  dark  bars.  These  bars  are  quite  conspicuous 
in  specimens  5  inches  in  length. 


3io  FIELD  COLUMBIAN   MUSEUM — ZOOLOGY,  VOL.  i. 

13.  Micropterus  dolomieu  Lecepede. 

(Bass.     Green  Bass;  Small  Mouthed  Black  Bass.) 
So  far  as  I  could  learn  this  is  the  most   abundant   game  fish  in 
Gull  and   Muskoka  Lakes.      The  day   I   arrived  one  gentleman 
and    his    wife    brought    in   46   specimens  from    Muskoka    Lake, 
the  result  of  less  than  a  half  day's  catch. 

14.  Micropterus  salmoides  (Lacepede). 

(Large  Mouthed  Black  Bass.) 

Mr.  Currie,  of  Bala,  reports  this  species  from  Muskoka  Lake. 
None  were  seen  by  me. 

15.  Stizostedion  vitreum  (Mitchill). 

(Pickerel.     Wall  Eyed  Pike  ;  Pike.) 

Mr.  Cockburn,  manager  of  the  Muskoka  Navigation  Company, 
reports  this  species  as  very  abundant  in  Muskoka  Lake,  none 
were  taken  during  my  visit. 

It  is  difficult  to  always  understand  the  use  of  the  names  Pike 
and  Pickerel.  On  the  Muskoka  Lakes  the  name  Pickerel  is 
usually  employed  for  this  species,  while  Lucius  lucius  is  more 
commonly  known  as  the  Pike.  According  to  Mr.  Currie,  Lifdus 
lucius  is  not  found  in  Muskoka  Lake,  but  in  its  outlet. 

16.  Perca  flavescens  (Mitchill). 

(Perch.) 

Abundant  in  Gull  and  Muskoka  Lakes. 

17.  Etheostoma  boreale  Jordan. 

Five  specimens,  largest  2.10  inches  in  length,  smallest  1.42 
inches.  All  were  taken  in  the  lower  end  of  Gull  Lake.  Dorsal 
ix-io;  anal  ii,  6  or  7,  scales  52;  lateral  line  developed  on  anterior 
half  of  body.  Cheeks  with  a  few  scales  ;  breast  naked.  Soft 
dorsal,  caudal  and  pectoral  fins  with  dark  bars  and  a  brownish 
red  tinge,  other  fins  white  ;  a  brownish  red  tinge  on  sides,  most 
conspicuous  between  the  darker  markings  ;  10  or  n  black  bars 
across  the  back,  those  on  the  sides  are  more  or  less  broken  up 
and  not  so  evident.  This  Darter  was  first  noticed  by  Dr.  Jordan 
in  1884.  At  present  it  is  known  only  from  a  small  stream  near 
Montreal  and  from  Gull  Lake.  It  probably  inhabits  the  south- 
ern portions  of  the  Provinces  of  Quebec  and  Ontario.  It  is 
found  farther  north  than  any  other  of  our  eastern  darters. 


Nov.  1899.  AMPHIBIANS  FROM  ONTARIO — MEEK.  311 

AMPHIBIA. 

1.  Diemyctylus  viridescens  Rafinesque. 

One  specimen  from  lower  end  of  Gull  Lake. 

2.  Hyla  pickeringii  (Storer). 

Common  along  the  outlet  of  Gull  Lake. 

3.  Rana  pipens  Gmelin. 

(Green  frog.) 
Abundant. 

4.  Rana  clamata  Daudin. 

Apparently  less  common  than  the  preceding. 

5.  Rana  cantabridgensis  Baird. 

Twenty- one  specimens  (all  I  saw)  were  caught  in  a  compara- 
tively small  area  near  the  outlet  of  Gull  Lake  ;  smaller  .93 
inches  in  length,  largest  1.14  inches  in  length.  Between  the 
dermal  folds  are  many  short  folds  irregularly  placed  ;  back  with 
many  small  warty-like  tubercles  ;  sides  nearly  smooth.  Color  of 
back  reddish  or  reddish-brown  to  a  very  dark  brown,  with  a 
darker  central  area,  sides  lighter  with  a  few  small  black  spots  on 
some  specimens.  Under  surface  white,  belly  and  throat  pro- 
fusely spotted  with  dark  brown.  No  vertebral  stripe  or  stripe 
on  anterior  portion  of  the  thigh  on  any  of  the  specimens. 

Though  these  specimens  were  found  near  the  water,  none 
made  any  special  attempt  to  reach  it  when  pursued;  the  weather 
being  cool,  they  were  quite  inactive  and  would  only  make  a  few 
short  jumps  toward  some  log  or  hiding-place  before  we  were  able 
to  capture  them.  So  far  as  observed  there,  the  habits  of  this 
species  were  much  like  that  of  Hyla  pickeringii.  The  other  two 
species  of  Rana,  when  started,  would  hasten  toward  the  water  ; 
these  I  captured  with  the  use  of  a  22  cal.  revolver,  using  shot 
cartridges. 


ol  12  01 8256617 


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